Friday, May 27, 2016

Twisted

We made a fun and easy twist bread for this month's daring kitchen challenge.

The dough came together quickly (and tasted delicious).

As we waited for it to proof, we took my semi-unruly toddler to see the Oscar de la Renta exhibit at the De Young museum. Nothing like trying to convince a 15-month-old that he can't touch the pretty, shiny, feathery dresses....

When we got back, we rolled out the dough and scavenged my kitchen to see what we could include within the dough -- sundried tomatoes + kalamata olives + random italian herbs seemed to be a good option.

Then we rolled it up, taking care to twist all of those gorgeous innards.

The dough baked for a long time, developing a beautiful, dark crust. Despite the recipe's insistence that we leave it to "cool completely" before cutting, we ripped into it immediately. Delicious!

16. Cut in half, down the middle, but not going all the way to the bottom

17. Slightly open the two halves
18. Twist the dough to resemble a length of rope
19. Shape into a circle

20. Place onto a lined or sprayed baking tray
21. Cover dough with a damp cloth and leave to prove for 30 minutes
22. Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F / Gas Mark 5
23. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle on the sesame seeds
24. Bake for 10 minutes
25. Reduce the temperature to 175°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4
26. Bake for a further 45 minutes
27. Remove from the oven and leave on the tray for 15 minutes
28. Place onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely before cutting